Distributed Firmware Resource Table Evaluation via Remote Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data processing systems face challenges in accurately evaluating and updating firmware resources, especially when tampered with by unauthorized entities, as they may fail to identify current firmware modules and perform proper updates due to compromised system firmware, virtual machine monitors, or operating systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of distributed and redundant firmware evaluation methods, where a client device and a remote evaluation server communicate to maintain multiple firmware resource tables (FRTs) across different components, using trusted execution environments and secure storage to prevent unauthorized access and ensure accurate updates, even if the system has been tampered with.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system firmware maintains a single firmware resource table (FRT) to identify firmware modules, then the system can perform basic firmware management, but the system becomes vulnerable to tampering by unauthorized entities who can compromise the FRT accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single FRT into multiple distributed FRTs stored across different components (system firmware, VMM, OS, applications). Each component maintains its own copy of the FRT, so that if one copy is tampered with, other copies remain intact and can be used for accurate firmware identification and update verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a remote evaluation server as an intermediary that collects FRTs from multiple sources, evaluates their trustworthiness using Byzantine agreement algorithms, and determines the authoritative FRT. This intermediary layer protects the system from tampering by providing an external verification mechanism.
2Device complexity
If the system uses a single interface provided by system firmware to obtain FRT, then the system structure remains simple, but the system lacks redundancy and cannot detect tampering in the system firmware itself
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single FRT retrieval interface into multiple interfaces provided by different components (system firmware, VMM, OS, applications). This allows the system to obtain FRTs from multiple sources simultaneously, enabling tampering detection through comparison and consensus algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to the FRT retrieval process by introducing a remote evaluation server that operates independently from the local system firmware. This external dimension provides an additional verification layer that can detect tampering that would be invisible to local components alone.
3Ease of operation
If the system firmware directly manages firmware updates using its maintained FRT, then the update process is straightforward, but the system cannot ensure proper updates if the system firmware has been compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote evaluation server as an intermediary between the system firmware and the firmware update process. This server collects FRTs from multiple sources, evaluates their trustworthiness, and determines the authoritative FRT before allowing updates. This intermediary layer ensures that even if system firmware is compromised, updates are based on verified information from other trusted sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary evaluation of multiple FRTs using Byzantine agreement algorithms before executing firmware updates. This preliminary action identifies the authoritative FRT in advance, ensuring that updates are based on uncorrupted information before the actual update process begins.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the system uses distributed and redundant FRTs with Byzantine agreement evaluation, then the system can detect and resist tampering, but the system complexity and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent offloads the complex Byzantine agreement evaluation and FRT comparison computations to a remote evaluation server. This intermediary handles the computationally intensive tasks of collecting FRTs from multiple sources, evaluating their trustworthiness, and determining the authoritative FRT, while local components only need to provide their FRT copies and receive update instructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses multiple copies of the FRT stored in different locations (system firmware, VMM, OS, applications, remote server) to enable tampering detection through comparison. By maintaining redundant copies, the system can identify discrepancies and determine the authoritative version without requiring complex real-time verification at each location.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated method for distributed and redundant firmware evaluation involves using a first interface that is provided by system firmware of a client device to obtain, at an evaluation server, a first firmware resource table (FRT) from the client device. The evaluation server also uses a second interface that is provided by a component of the client device other than the system firmware to obtain a second FRT from the client device. The evaluation server automatically uses the first and second FRTs to identify a trustworthy FRT among the first and second FRTs. The evaluation server automatically uses the trustworthy FRT to determine whether the client device should be updated. For instance, the evaluation server may automatically use the trustworthy FRT to determine whether firmware in the client device should be updated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.